The changes wrought by the MIDI and microcomputer revolution in the 1980s have dramatically transformed the world's music. Listeners now expect much more from the electronic music composer and performer, not only in audio quality, but also in skill and versatility across styles. However, to date there has been no comprehensive source of information to ground the synthesizer artist in the requisite technologies and techniques.

Electronic music instruments weren't called synthesizers until the 1950s, but their lineage began in 1919 with Russian inventor Lev Sergeyevich Termen's development of the Etherphone, what we now know of as the Theremin. The past century has seen remarkable developments in synthesizers, documented in the first chapter of this book by a historical look at the most important instruments and how they advanced methods of a musician's control, of sound generation, of improved capabilities for live performance, of interfaces that improved the musician's interaction with the instrument, and of groundbreaking ways to compose music. Chapter two covers the basics of acoustics and synthesis, including descriptions of individual synthesizer components and how they affect the generation of sound and the production of music. Today's synthesizer industry covers a vast range of devices, from affordable to expensive workstations, from analog to digital to hybrid forms of sound generation, from the expanding universe of software instruments to the vigorously revived world of modular synthesizers, from state-of-the-art all-digital instruments to those that function directly with analog machines of the past, and from synthesizers and controllers sporting traditional interfaces such as the organ- or piano-style keyboard to those that appeal to musicians in search of novel approaches to making music. Chapter three addresses many of the valuable considerations to make when shopping for synthesizers. The final two chapters outline strategies noted and successful synthesists use to program, compose and perform with, and record the ultimate electronic music instrument.

Hyperimprovisation is the first book to focus on the unique potential of computer-interactive sound improvisation. Instrumental improvisation, through the intermediacy of computers, allows musicians to create and modify large scale and long term structures at a highly polyphonic level, yet still in real-time. Computers also allow the construction of hyperinstruments, with many levels of explicit control of sound generation and transformation. Further, networked improvisation allows mutual—or competitive!— adaptation of the performing interfaces and mechanisms by several performers, again, in real-time. The achievements and future possibilities of the “hyperimprovisation” which is released by computer technology are explored in this book.

In Fundamentals of Digital Audio, Alan P.Kafauver and David Patschke present a systematic overview of the elements for digital recording and reproducing sound. With Ideas grounded in the principles of acoustics, the authors exptore the essential issues involved in preserving, transferring, and modifying sound recordings in the digital domain. In addition to references on historic methods of sound reproduction, this book includes detailed information about the latest digital audio technology. Of special interest is the coverage of storage media and compression technologies. The authors detail a comprehensive introduction and evolution of data storage and media standards, including CD/DVD/Blu-ray/HD DVD, as well as fully (but plainly) detailing associated digital audio compression algorithms. They catalog in detail the processes involved in digitally editing recorded sound, presenting a step-by-step editing and mastering session. Fundamentals of Digital Audio is an essential textbook for anyone who wants to better understand or work with recorded sound using today's digital equipment. The book contains many diagrams and illustrations through which the authors share their expertise with the reader, Among the few books that treats this subject both comprehensively and understandably, the new edition of Fundamentals of Digital Audio should continue to be an indispensable text in this area.

xxii + 286 pp.Includes a Foreword by Ross Kirk

Revision of the 1989 book The compact disk; a handbook of theory and use. A technical discussion of the system. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

In Knowledge-Based Programming for Music Research, Schaffer and McGee explore expert systems for applications in artificial intelligence (AI). The text concerns (1) basic principles for knowledge-based programming, (2) concepts and strategies for programming these systems, (3) a "universal data" model for music analysis, and (4) examples that concern specific aspects of design and application. The authors also investigate Prolog (programming in logic), one of the most widely used computer languages for AI, and base some of their applications on the recent implication-based theories of Eugene Narmour. Of the applications for programming a knowledge-based system, music analysis has the most potential. Beyond identifying isolated elements, it is possible to create programs that extend to chord structures and other, more complex structures. This kind of programming allows the authors to embed the rules of composition in the application and then extend the analysis throughout the musical work. It also allows them to arrive at the underlying principles for a given composition. As a tool for music analysis, such programming has profound implications for further growth. The text is designed for musicians at various levels and could also be used in courses on computer-music programming. Parts of the book have been successfully used in courses on computer programming for music research, with which the authors have direct experience. The text includes extensive examples of code for use in individual Prolog applications and a comprehensive bibliography.